Prince Johan Friso pictured with his wife Mabel Wisse Smit on their wedding day in 2004. Prince Friso passed away at the age of 44 on Monday, Aug. 12 after complications due to an avalanche accident in February 2012.

Photo: Reuters

Dutch Prince Johan Friso passed away on Monday, Aug. 12, a day after the 45th birthday of his wife, Mabel Wisse Smit. The prince had been in a minimal consciousness state for the past 18 months after an avalanche accident in Austria in February 2012. The Dutch Royal family released the following statement on Monday morning:

“His Majesty the King announces with deep regret that His Royal Highness Prince Johan Friso Bernhard Christiaan David, Prins van Oranje-Nassau, Jonkheer van Amsberg passed away this morning at Palace Huis ten Bosch in the Hague at age 44.

Prince Friso has died of complications related to the hypoxic brain injury, which he suffered as the result of his skiing accident in Lech, Austria on 17 February 2012.

Following initial treatment at the Intensive Care Unit of the Innsbruck University Hospital, Prince Friso was transferred in early March 2012 to the Wellington hospital in London, his place of residence. In November 2012, Prince Friso begun showing signs of limited awareness ('minimal consciousness') and remained in that state since then. In early July 2013, he was transferred to Palace Huis ten Bosch in The Hague, the Netherlands.

The Royal family wholeheartedly thanks all persons who have looked after Prince Friso for their excellent and devoted care.”

On Feb. 17, the prince had been skiing in the Austrian Alps with a friend when the pair was stuck with snow 30 meters wide and 40 meters long. Reuters reported at the time that Friso had been buried in the snow for 20 minutes before he was able to be pulled free. He was found unconscious, but he was resuscitated.

Since his accident, the Royal family has kept well-wishers up to date on his condition. The last update came in July when they revealed in a statement that the prince was being discharged from London’s Wellington Hospital after remaining in a state of minimal consciousness. In no longer need of hospital care, the prince and a medical team spent the summer with his family at Palace Huis te Bosch in The Hague.

On Aug. 11, just a day before Friso’s death, Mabel Wisse Smit took to her Twitter account to thank her followers for birthday wishes.

The English translation of her tweet is: “Thank you for all the lovely congratulations today! #Birthday.”

Prince Friso was the second son of Crown Princess Beatrix and Prince Claus. Initially second in line to the throne after his eldest brother, Willem-Alexander, Johan Friso gave up his right as an official member of the ruling House of Orange when he married Mabel Wisse Smit in 2004. The prince was initially not granted permission by parliament due to Wisse Smit’s “one-time relationship with notorious drug lord, Klaas Bruinsma.” According to Radio Netherlands Worldwide, Bruinsma was killed in 1991, and Wisse Smit only claimed to be friends with him.

Prince Friso was the second son of Crown Princess Beatrix and Prince Claus. Initially second in line to the throne after his eldest brother, Willem-Alexander, Johan Friso gave up his right as an official member of the ruling House of Orange when he married Mabel Wisse Smit in 2004. The prince was initially not granted permission by parliament due to Wisse Smit’s “one-time relationship with notorious drug lord, Klaas Bruinsma.” According to Radio Netherlands Worldwide, Bruinsma was killed in 1991, and Wisse Smit only claimed to be friends with him.